Keeper structure



Aug. 15, 1961 R. c. FRANCE ET AL KEEPER STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June ll, 1952 yIlllIlllIllIllll/IIIA 'IIIIIIIA 'l' INVENTORS Ro//in C, France Haro/o /F Wade d/m. ATTORNEY@ Allg. 15, 1961 R. c. FRANCE ET AL KEEPER STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June ll. 1952 JNVENTORS /o//m C? France Haro/o Wade BY W @A Z fnd/4 ATTORNEY@ Aug. 15, 1961 R. c. FRANCE ET AL 2,996,327

KEEPER STRUCTURE Original 'Filed June ll, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS Ro/l/'n C. France Haro/af P Wa e Fig. 12 13 5)/ Y lif/4525,34@5MM" nited States atent ige 2,996,327 KEEPER STRUCTURE Rollin C. France, Lakewood, Ohio, and Harold P. Wade, Nicholasville, Ky., assignors to The Standard Products Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application June '11, 1952, Ser. No. 292,826, now Patent No. 2,873,692, dated Feb. 17, 1959. Divided and this application Feb. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 793,187

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-340) This invention relates to locks and more particularly, to locks which are especially suitable for the deck lids or luggage compartment covers of automobiles.

The present application is a division of our copending -application for Lock Structures, Serial No. 292,826, filed June 11, 1952, and on which United States Patent No. 2,873,602 issued on February 17, 1959.

The invention has for its primary object the provision of locks of the aforesaid nature Which are characterized by their structural simplicity, the economy of the-ir manufacture, the ease of assembly of their parts, their strong and sturdy character, and their general operating efficiency.

Further and more specific objects of the present invention will be referred to in or will be evident from the following, description of three embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

F-IG. l is a side elevational view of a lock constructed inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention, as used/ for the releasable lockingof a kdeck lid or luggage compartment cover in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a detail vertical` sectional view, on the line 2 2 of FIG. l, and showing the locking member of the lock of FIG. 1 in locking relationship with its ,striker or keeper;

FIG. 3 is a bottom elevational view of said striker orl keeper;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectionalV View of said locking member and its cooperating striker or keeper in the locking relationship of FIG. 2, 4the view being on the line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational View of the lock of FIG. l, with the striker or keeper and the key-controlled lock actuating means being omitted;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional View` of the lock parts of FIG. 5, as viewed from inside the lock casing or housing, the view beingpon the line 6 6 of FIG. l;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lockv parts `of FIG. 6, the View being on the line 7 7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a `detail elevational view of the lower lock parts of FIGS. 6 and 7, the View being on thepline 8 8 of FIG. 7 and showing the position ofthe detent-engaging-,member when the lockingV member is in its locking position;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 and showing the position of the. detent-engaging member when the locking memberis in its non-locking position;

FIG. l() is an elevational View of the upper portion of a lock generally like that of FIGS. l to 9 inclusive,L

but differing therefrom in that it has a slightly modified formrof detent lever;

FIG. ll is a view'corresponding to FIG. 1 but showing a lock with a modified form of key-controlled lockactuating means;

FIG. 12 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 but showing thelock of FIG. l1; and

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view of the lock parts of FIG. l2, as viewed from the line 13 13 of FIG. l2.

Before the locks here illustrated for the disclosure of three embodiments of the present invention are specifi- Patented Aug. l5, 1961 Z cally described, it is to be understood thatthe invention is not limited to the particular details of construction or the particular arrangements of parts here shown, as locks embodying the invention may take. various other forms. It also is to be understood that the terminology or phraseology herein used is for purposes of description and not of limitation, -as the scope of the present invention is denoted by the appendent claim.

Although locks embodying the present invention may be used for the releasable locking of various closure structures, such locks are particularly useful, as will hereinafter appear, for t1 e deck lids or luggage compartmentcovers of automobiles. Therefore, for purposes of illustration and in no limiting sense, three embodiments of the present invention, as so used, are here illustrated and described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and ll, the deck lids or luggage compartment covers A and AA with which are used the present embodiments of the invention are of the type which include spaced inner and outer sheet metal walls,

numbered 10 vand 11 in FIG. l `and 10b and 11b in FIG.l

l1, and a sheet metal bottom edge wall, numbered 12 in FIG. l and 12b in FIG. ll. As is usual, the deck lids or luggage compartment covers A and AA arein. FIG. 1l, are secured to marginal flanges, numbered` 15 in FIG. l and 15b in FIG. 1l, of the deck lids, or luggage compartment covers A and AA for sealing engagement with projecting parts, numbered 16 yin FIG. l,

and 16b in FIG. 11, of the automobile body structures B and BB, the parts 16 and 16b being carried by body edge walls, numbered 17 in FIG. l and 17h in FIG. l1,

which connect the spaced inner and outer sheet metall body Walls, numbered 18 and-|19 in FIG. l and 1817 and 1912 in FIG.11.

Referring'nowto the lockV of FIGS. l to,9 inclusive, which constitutes the rst of the threehereillustrated embodiments of the present invention, said lockcomprises a relatively thin sheet metal casing orhousing having lan upper section-for securement to the inner wall 10 of the deck lid or luggage compartment cover A and" an inwardly and downwardly extending lowersection projecting below said wall, the angular disposition of said lower section being such that it is generally parallel with'v the inner Wall 18 of the'automobile body structure B, as

shown in FIG. l.

As here'shown, the casing-or housing comprises a sheet metal base member 2 1 of plate-like form, and a sheety metal cover-member 22 having a right angular peripheral ange 23 'for abutting engagement with thebase member and Which thus determines the depth of thechamber of the casingor housing. For the securement of the casing or housing to the inner walllt) of the deck lid or Vluggage compartment cover A, the upper portion of the base member 21'is here provided, integrally as shown, with two oppositely extending side Wall-'lugs 24 (FIGS. 5 vand 6) which are suitably apertured for the-reception of bolts- 25 or equivalent fastening elements. For the securement of the cover memberr22l of the casing or. housing totheV base member 21 thereof, the uperipheral flange 23Y of saidv cover member is here provided with tabs 26 and the base member with tab-receiving slotsV 27, the tabs vbeing inserted into saidy slots andrtheprojecting portionsvofftheL tabs being then. bent over againstthe base gmember, as

bestshownin FIG. 5,:for the rigid connection of the two casing or housing members.

RigidlyA mounted on the youter end of a stub'bll .50

having its intermediate portion suitably journalled in the angularly disposed lower section of the casing or housing base member 21 is a lockingmember 31 of disc-like form and which is oscillatable about the axis of-said shaft be-V tweena. lockingY position,.FIGS. 6 and 8, and a non-A locking position, FIG. 9, as will hereinafterappear. As best shown in FIG. 1, the locking member Y31 is disposed betwecn, and in generally parallel relation with, the angularly disposedV lowervsection of the casing or housing and the inner wall 1S of the automobile body structure B when the-deck lid or luggage compartment cover is in its lowered position.

Ay suitable striker or keeper, for locking cooperation with the locking member 31, is rigidly lmounted on the inclined inner wall 18 of the automobile body structure B. As here shown, the striker or keeper is a simple sheet metal structure having a'ba'se portion 33 and two flange portions 34 and 35 extending at right angles therefrom and laterally spaced apart for the reception therebetween of the locking member 31, as in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. For the rigid securement of the striker or keeper base portion 33 to the automobile body wall 18, said base portion is here provided with two laterally spaced apertures for the reception of bolts 36 or equivalent fastening elements-elements which also extend, of course, through suitable apertures in said automobile body wall. Although the flange portions 34 and 35 of the striker or keeper may be integral with the base portion 33, they are here shown (see FIG. 2) as the side portions Vof a separate channel-shaped sheet metal member of strip-like form suitably securedto said base portion, such as by the tabs 37 with which such member -is here provided and which tabs extend through suitable slots in said base portion, the projecting free end portions of the tabs being bent over against the base portion, as best shown in FIG. 3.

For their locking cooperation, the locking'member 31 is provided with a peripheral notch or recess 39 and the striker or keeper flange portion V35 is provided with a projection 40 for seating engagement in said notch or recess. As here shown (see FIG. 2), the striker Yor keeper projection 40 is an integral part of the ilange portion 35, the projection extending transversely thereof and being of wedge shape in cross section. For the procurement 'of a locking relationship in which but little vertical play or lost motion of the parts is permitted, the relative sizes of the striker or keeper projection 40 and the locking member notch or recess 39 are such that said projection snugly iits said notch or recess, as best shown in FIG. Z. 1

The provision of the flange portion 34 of the striker or keeper effectively prevents lateral separating movement of the locking member 31 relative to the striker or keeper projection 40 when such parts are in their locking relationship, and said iiange portion 34 is also available for use as a guide for said locking member in its movement into and out of such locking'relationship. As a further aid in the releasable maintenance of the locking relationship of the-locking member 31 and the striker or keeper projection 40 when the deck lid or luggage compartment cover is in closing position relative to the luggage compaltment opening 13, including the maintenance of such relationship against the edorts of one seeking to break into the luggage compartment, the flange portion 34 of the striker or keeper may be provided, if desired, with a lateral extension which overlies, in whole or in part, the locking member 31 when said member is in its locking position, such as the lateral extension 42 shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. Y

To releasably retain in locking relationship the locking member notch or recess 39 and the striker or keeper projection 40 when the deck lid or luggage compartment cover A is in closed position, and to so position said notch or recess when the deck lid or luggage -compartment cover is in raised or open position that such locking relationship will be automatically established upon the movement of said deck lid o; luggage compartment cover downwardly into position, ,a disc-like member 44, for cooperative engagement with a hereinafter described detent lever 45, is rigidly mounted on the inner end of the stub shaft 30, on the outer end of which is rigidly mounted the locking member 31, as heretofore mentioned.

In theV present embodiment of the invention, said disclike member 44 is provided with two circumferentially spaced peripheral shoulders 46 and 47 for engagement with the lower end of the detent lever 45, the shoulder 46 being so located that it is engaged by said detent lever when the deck lid or luggage compartment cover A is in its lowered, closed position, as in FIGS. 6 and 8, and the shoulder 47 being so located that it is engaged by said detent lever when the deck lid or luggage compartment cover is in its raised open position, as in FIG. 9.

"1 said spiral spring is secured or anchored to said pivot pin and the outer and upwardly extending end of said spring has bearing engagement with a lug 50 with which the upper end portion of the detent lever 45 is here provided. Inasmuch as the outer, upwardly extending end of said spring, and hence the upper end of the detent lever engaged thereby, tend to move in a counterclockwise direction, FIGS. 6, 8 and 9, the lower end of the detent lever is thus constantly urged into engagement with the disc-like member 44, as will be readily understood.

To limit rotary movement of the disc-like member 44, and hence rotary movement of the locking member 31, inasmuch as both members are rigidly mounted on opposite ends of the same shaft, the casing on housing base plate 21 is here provided with a struck up lug 52 which, as best shown in FIG. 8, cooperates with a projection 53 on member 44 to limit counterclockwise movement of said member. Preferably and Vas here shown, the casing or housing base plate 21 is also provided with a struck up lug 54 for engagement by the upper end portion of the detent lever 45 in limiting clockwise movement of said lever, with the result that the lower end of said lever also serves as a means for limiting clockwise movement of the member 44, in as much as the width of the shoulder 47 of said member is suiiiciently great to prevent it from passing beyond said lever end in the cloc wise movement of said member.

If desired and as here shown, a leaf spring 55 may be provided for engagement with the disc-like member 44 in the releasable retention of such member in either the position thereof shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 or the position thereof shown in FIG. 9. In the present embodiment of the invention, the upper end of said spring 55 is secured to the casing or housing base plate 21 by means of two lugs 56 with which such base plate is provided, and the lower end of said spring is bent into semi-circular form, as at 57, for peripheral engagement with said disclike member. To assist in the releasable retention of said member in the position thereof shown in FIG. 9, which is the provision of such member when the locking member 31 is in its non-locking position, said disc-like member 44 may be provided with -a peripheral depression 58 to receive the semi-circular end 57 of the spring 55, as in FIG. 9.

Y As thus far described, it will be evident that when the deck lid or luggage compartment cover A is in its raised oropen position, the locking member will be in the doto dashlne position shown in FIGS; 2 and 9-a position in Whichit is releasably, held by the engagementofthe detent :lever 45 with the shoulder 47 of the disc-like member44. Upon downward movement of the decklidor luggageV compartment cover to closed position, the locking member 3l will be turned by its engagement with the striker or keeper projection 4t)V in a counterclockwise direction, FIG. 2, and thereby automatically brought intolocking cooperation with such striker or keeper projection. When in such locking cooperation withsaid projection, the position of the locking member is that shown in full lines, FIG. 2, and in dot-dash lines, FIG. S-a position in which the locking member is releasably held-for the releasable retention of tbedecklid or luggage compartment cover A in closed position, by the engagementof the detent lever 45 with the shoulder 46 of the disc-like member 44.

When opening movement ofthe deckY lid or luggage compartment cover A- is desired, the detent lever 45 must be manually swung out of its detaining engagementwith the shoulder 46 of the disc-like member 44, to thereby permit the locking member 31 to move out of its locking cooperation with the striker or keeper projection 40 as the deck lid or luggage compartment cover is manually raised to open position. Although the deck lid or luggage compartment cover may be provided with any suitable means by which it may be grasped for its manual movement into and out of closed position, said deck lid or luggage compartment cover is here provided with a simple handle 60, as shown in FIG. 1.

In this particular embodiment of the invention, the means for swinging the detent lever 45 out of detaining engagement with the shoulder 46 of the disc-like member 44, when opening movement of the deck lid or luggage compartment cover A is desired, includes a cup-shaped member 62, the annular side wall of which is provided with a depending L-shaped nger 63 for engagement with the upper end portion of the detent lever. As best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the annular side wall of said cupshaped member 62 is rotatably supported on an annular ilange 64 of the casing or housing base plate 21 at the upper end thereof, the ange 64 surrounding an opening 65 through said base plate and such opening being in registry with an opening 66, of non-circular shape, such as square, in the circular end wall of the cup-shaped member 62 when said member is on its supporting flange 64.

Projecting through said openings 65 and 66 and more or less snugly fitting the latter opening, is the non-circular, such as square, inner end portion of a spindle 68, the outer end portion of which extends into a key tumbler casing 69, as shown in FIG. 1. By means of the key '70, FIG. l, the spindle 68 can be turned about its longitudinal axis, in a counterclockvvise direction, FIG. 6, with corresponding movement of the depending finger 63 of the cup-shaped member 62, to thereby swing the detent lever 45 from its detaining engagement with the shoulder 46 of the disc-like member 44. Upon the release of the member 44, the deck lid of luggage compartment A can be manually raised or opened, as will be readily understood.

Although in the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIGS. l to 6 inclusive, the release of the disc-like member 44 is effected by counterclockwise movement (FIG. 6) of the key-actuated spindle `68 and the depending finger 63 of the cup-Shaped member 62, release of such disc-like member can be effected, if desired, by clockwise movement of said spindle and said tingen Such a modification is shown in FIG. l0, in which the upper end portion of the detent lever 45a is curved to the left, and in which the iinger 63a of the cup-shaped member 62a is upwardly disposed for engagement with said detent lever end portion. With such disposition of the parts, the key-actuated spindle and the nger 63a movable therewith must be turned in a clockwise direction, FIG. l0, to move the detent lever out of detaining engageas an integral part of the casing or housing base plate;

21a, is provided to limit counterclockwise movement of the plunger actuatediinger 63a, with a lug 54a also being provided on said casing or housing base plate to limit clockwise movement of the detent lever, as iny the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. l to 6 inclusive.

A further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1l to 13 inclusive, and in this embodiment, the manually operable means for swingingk the detent lever 45b from -its detaining engagement with the shoulder 46h ofthe disc-like member 44h, when opening movement of the deck lid or luggagey compartment cover AA is desired, includes a push button 74 suitably mounted on the outer Wall 1lb of said deck lid or luggage compartment cover, such as adjacent the handle 60'b thereof.

As best shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the forwardly bent upper end portion 75 of the detent lever 45h is engaged by the pivoted lower end portion of a lever 76 arranged within the chamber of the lock casing or housing, the lower end portion of said lever 76 being pivoted at 77 to the casing or housing base plate 2lb and the rearwardly bent upper end portion 78 of said lever being movable forwardly and rearwardly through a slot 79 in the upper end portion of said casing or housing base plate.

As will be evident from FIGS. l2 and 13, when the upper end portion 78 of the lever 76 is moved forwardly, to its dot-dash line position, FIG. 13, the pivoted lower end portion of said lever, by its engagement with the upper end portion 75 of the detent lever 45h, will cause such detent lever to swing in a clockwise direction, FIG. l2, with the consequent release of the disc-like member 44b from its detention by said detent lever, and the consequent freedom of the deck lid or 'luggage compartment cover' AA to be manually raised to open position.

To effect such forward movement of the upper end portion 78 of the lever 716, when opening movement of the deck lid or luggage compartment cover AA is desired, the push button 74 has operatively associated therewith a plunger 81 slidably and rotatably mounted in a key tumbler casing 82 carried by the outer wall 11b of the deck lid or luggage compartment cover and located between such wall and the inner wall lilb of the deck lid or luggage compartment cover. As best shown in FIGS. 1l and 13, the inner end portion of the plunger 8l projects beyond the inner end of the key tumbler casing 82 and terminates in a laterally bent end part 33, which, by manual operation of a key 85, FIG. 1l, can be turned either upwardly, as in FIG. 13, or downwardly, as in FIG. 11.

When this laterally bent plunger end part 83 is in its upturned position, as in FIG. 13, it is in alignment or registry with the rearwardly extending upper end portion 78 of the lever 76, with the result that upon manual depression or forward movement of the push button 74, the detent lever 45h is swung out of detaining engagement with the disc-like member 45h because of the forward movement of the plunger and of the upper end portion 78 of the lever 76. However, when it is desired to lock the deck lid or luggage compartment cover AA against opening movement, the laterally bent rear end part 83 of the plunger 81 is turned downwardly, as in FIG. ll, so that it no longer is in alignment or registry with the rearwardly extending upper end portion 78 of the lever 76, and thus is ineffective to operate such lever. Therefore, although the push button 74 can be depressed as before, and although such push button movement effects forward movement of the plunger 81 and its laterally bent rear end part 83, release of the disc-like member 44b cannot be eifected, as will be readily understood.

To those skilled in the art to which the present invenr tion relates, further features and advantages o1 locks embodying the invention, and other embodiments than those 4here illustrated and described, will be readily apparent,

What is claimed is:

A lock keeper structure, comprising 4a mounting base portion and three integrally connected flange portions secured to said base portion and extending generally at right angles therefrom, two of said flange portions being in laterally spaced and generally parallel relation and dening therebetween a passageway for a pivoted and generally flat locking member having a locking recess, the third flange portion connecting the laterally spaced and generally parallel flange portions at one end thereof to thereby brace such two flange portions and also to close at the rear end thereof the Vpassageway for the locking member, at least two of said threeange portions being provided with integral tabs and said base portion being provided with slots through which said tabs extend, with the free end portions of the tabs being laterally bent to underlie the base portion and thereby firmly secure the three ange portions to the base portion, said base portion lbeing provided with mounting apertures on opposite sides yof the passagewayfor said lock member, one of the two-laterally spaced and generally parallel flange p0rtions being Vprovided with an integral and generally U-shaped projection for cooperative locking relationship with Vthe locking recess of said locking member and the other of said laterally spaced and generally parallel ange portions being provided with an integral in-turned edge part overlying at least a portion of said locking member when said locking member is in the aforesaid locking relationship, to thereby aid in preventing undesired disturbance of such locking relationship.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,088,392 Altmann Feb. 24, 1914 1,352,010 Lun'e Sept. 7, 1920 2,246,786 Dall June 24, 1941 2,679,420 Crockett May 25, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 281,073 Switzerland May 16, 1952 

